Raheem Sterling could not prevent his Liverpool side being beaten 4-1 by Arsenal on Saturday, with the England international firmly in the spotlight as he featured as the Reds’ central striker at the Emirates Stadium.

The 20-year-old gave a much-publicised interview with the BBC this week stating that reported interest from the Gunners was flattering and confirming that he had turned down a lucrative new offer from the Merseyside club.

Sterling’s future now remains in the balance, with the young forward seemingly set to have crunch talks with his employers at the end of the season.

Despite the ill-timed comments from the player, Brendan Rodgers has refused to blame Sterling and instead has taken aim at the star’s agent.

“You don’t do it. Him in particular. But, of course, if he is asked to do that by other parties then that is what he’ll do,” The Guardian report Rodgers as saying.

“In the modern game it’s something that would frustrate us all. It’s the market. In fairness to Raheem, I brought Raheem in from the youth team so I know the kid well and I know a big part of this is nothing to do with him.

“Kid who is focused on his football, works hard every single day, he just wants to play his football. The kid gives me everything every time he trains and plays. Loyalty is not something so prevalent in the modern game.”

Sterling’s current deal at Anfield runs up until the summer of 2017 and Liverpool have been desperately trying to tie their prize asset down to a new deal following his rise to prominence in recent times.

The youngster is a product of the Liverpool youth academy and was given his first consistent chance in the club’s senior side by Rodgers.

Gareth McKnight

I am a freelance football journalist from Northern Ireland, currently living and working from Broome in Western Australia. After a degree in sports journalism from the University of Stirling in Scotland, I started in the online football world and have worked for leading websites and media outlets since. My knowledge and passion is based around the Premier League and European football, but I also have a soft spot for the Australian A-League.